A nurse who complained her dog was escaping through her broken gate got a letter back from the landlords telling her to have it killed.

Alison Hawes, 35, was horrified when her request for repairs was met with a demand to provide evidence by return of post her little black terrier had been put down.

She had moved into the rented flat in Hartington Road, Brighton, with Alfie more than a year before and never had any complaints from her neighbours.

But when he discovered an escape route through the back gate, Miss Hawes wrote to her agents, Parsons, Son and Basley, asking them to fix it.

In reply, a letter bearing the signature of property manager Stephen Howlett, said: "Please be advised no consent for a dog to be kept at the flat has ever been granted - therefore please provide written evidence the dog has been destroyed by return."

Alison said: "When they asked for evidence I thought of sending a furry ear or a pile of ashes but actually I was absolutely furious. What if I'd been a little old lady who really thought she had to kill her dog or lose her home? It could have really frightened her.

"Someone with less common sense might actually have killed their dog."

Alison, who is a clinical site manager at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, rang the agents to complain.

She said: "The man said he had signed the letter without reading it. It was outrageous, and I feel sure I am not the only person to have received a letter like this."

She heard nothing more from the company and has now bought the flat and freehold. She plans to have the gate mended herself.

A spokesman for Parsons, Son and Basley said: "This is highly embarrassing and I apologise profusely to the lady involved.

"The person who wrote the letter is no longer with us. We would never have allowed this sort of letter to be sent out and I only wish the lady had come in at the time so we could have sorted it out.

"Quite clearly it's unacceptable and the letter was not sent through the usual channels."